KR20090107365A - Mobile terminal and its menu control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A mobile terminal and a menu control method thereof are provided to identify a meaning included contents of a command which is inputted by voice, thereby displaying a menu of a function related to the identified voice. CONSTITUTION: A mobile terminal(100) includes a microphone, a signal input unit, a memory, and a controller. The microphone(122) receives a voice command. The signal input unit receives a signal for controlling activation of a voice identifying function. The memory(160) builds information related to each menu and function of the mobile terminal in a database. The controller(180) activates a voice identifying function by receiving an activation control signal.

Description

Mobile terminal and its menu control method {MOBILE TERMINAL AND ITS MENU CONTROL METHOD}

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a menu control method thereof, which are capable of controlling various functions provided in the mobile terminal by recognizing the context or content of a command input by voice.

The mobile terminal may be configured to perform various functions.

Examples of such various functions include data and voice communication functions, taking pictures or videos through a camera, storing voices, playing music files through a speaker system, and displaying images or videos. Some mobile terminals include additional functionality to play games, while others are implemented as multimedia devices. Moreover, recent mobile terminals can receive broadcast or multicast signals to watch video or television programs.

In addition, efforts to support and increase the function of the mobile terminal continue. The foregoing efforts include not only changes and improvements in the structural components forming the mobile terminal, but also improvements in software or hardware. As such a design form, a folder form, a slide form, a bar form or a rotation form design is applied to the mobile terminal.

In addition, the mobile terminal has various user interfaces for executing functions. For example, a function for voice recognition, a touch pad, a keypad, or a pen input is applied. However, the user interface has a problem in that a recognition error rate is high or user satisfaction is low according to each characteristic.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal and a menu control method thereof capable of recognizing a meaning included in a context or content of a command input by voice in order to control various functions provided in the mobile terminal.

In addition, the present invention provides a mobile terminal and a method for controlling the menu to recognize a meaning included in the context or content of a voice command input to control the mobile terminal and to display a menu of functions related to the recognized command. It is to provide.

In addition, the present invention recognizes the meaning contained in the context or content of the voice command input to control the mobile terminal, the movement to display a menu of the recognition rate is a certain value or more of the menu of the function related to the recognized command It is to provide a terminal and a menu control method thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal having function information related to various menus that can correspond to the command, and a method for controlling the menu, in order to improve recognition of a voice command.

In addition, the present invention provides a mobile terminal and a method for controlling the menu having means and methods for controlling the activation of the voice recognition function in order to reduce power consumption and resource consumption required to perform the voice recognition function and improve the recognition rate for the voice command. It is to provide.

The present invention also provides a mobile terminal and a menu control method for controlling the functions of the mobile terminal by simultaneously applying at least two or more of a plurality of user interfaces provided for detecting a user's manipulation in the mobile terminal. will be.

Mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object is a microphone for receiving a voice command, a signal input unit for receiving a signal for controlling the activation of the voice recognition function, and each menu or function provided in the mobile terminal A memory configured to store information related to the database, the activation control signal is activated to activate a voice recognition function, and the meaning is determined based on the content and context of the received voice command with reference to information stored in the database. And a controller for outputting a result corresponding to the determined meaning to a specific component of the terminal.

In addition, the present invention for realizing the above object is to receive a specific activation signal to activate the voice recognition function of the mobile terminal, convert the voice command input in the activation state to a specific information format, and then After determining the meaning of the voice command based on the content and context, a result corresponding to the meaning of the voice command is output to a specific element of the terminal.

The mobile terminal according to the present invention configured as described above has an effect of controlling various functions provided in the mobile terminal by recognizing a meaning included in a context or content of a command inputted by voice.

In addition, the mobile terminal according to the present invention has the effect of recognizing the meaning included in the context or content of a command input by voice and displaying a menu of functions related to the recognized command.

In addition, the mobile terminal according to the present invention has an effect of recognizing the meaning included in the context or content of a command input by voice and displaying menus having a recognition rate equal to or greater than a specific value among menus of functions related to the recognized command. .

In addition, the mobile terminal according to the present invention has an effect of improving the recognition rate of the context or content for the voice command by providing a plurality of pieces of function information related to various menus that can correspond to the voice command.

In addition, the mobile terminal according to the present invention controls the activation of the voice recognition function to perform the voice recognition function only when necessary, thereby reducing the power consumption and resource consumption required to perform the voice recognition function, and improve the recognition rate for the voice command It is effective to make it.

In addition, the mobile terminal according to the present invention has the effect of improving the user's convenience and voice command recognition rate by complementing the user interface having different characteristics by applying a plurality of user interfaces at the same time.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the detailed description of the well-known technology and its configuration which are determined to obscure the gist of the present invention will be omitted. In addition, in the business card according to the present invention with reference to the drawings, components that perform the same function will be described with the same reference numerals.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The mobile terminal can be implemented in various forms. For example, the mobile terminal described herein may be a mobile phone, a smart phone, a notebook computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), navigation, or the like. have.

The illustrated mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an A / V input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory 160, The interface unit 170 may include a controller 180, a power supply unit 190, and the like. 1 illustrates a mobile terminal having various components. However, not all illustrated components are essential components. The mobile terminal may be implemented by more components than the illustrated components, or the mobile terminal may be implemented by fewer components.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in turn.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more components for wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and a network in which the mobile terminal 100 is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless internet module 113, a short range communication module 114, a location information module 115, and the like. .

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives a broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel. The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. The broadcast management server may mean a server that generates and transmits a broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information or a server that receives a previously generated broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information and transmits the same to a terminal. The broadcast related information may mean information related to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or a broadcast service provider. The broadcast signal may include not only a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, and a data broadcast signal, but also a broadcast signal having a data broadcast signal combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

Meanwhile, the broadcast related information may be provided through a mobile communication network, and in this case, may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

The broadcast related information may exist in various forms. For example, it may exist in the form of Electronic Program Guide (EPG) of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) or Electronic Service Guide (ESG) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives a broadcast signal using various broadcasting systems, and in particular, digital multimedia broadcasting-terrestrial (DMB-T), digital multimedia broadcasting-satellite (DMB-S), and media forward link (MediaFLO). Digital broadcast signals can be received using digital broadcasting systems such as only), digital video broadcast-handheld (DVB-H), integrated services digital broadcast-terrestrial (ISDB-T), and the like. Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 is configured to be suitable for all broadcast systems providing broadcast signals as well as the digital broadcast system described above.

The broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information received through the broadcast receiving module 111 may be stored in the memory 160.

In addition, the mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives a radio signal with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. The wireless signal may include various types of data according to transmission and reception of a voice call signal, a video call call signal, or a text / multimedia message.

The wireless internet module 113 refers to a module for wireless internet access, and the wireless internet module 113 may be internal or external.

The short range communication module 114 refers to a module for short range communication. As a short range communication technology, Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like may be used.

In addition, the location information module 115 is a module for checking or obtaining the location of the mobile terminal. One example is the Global Position System (GPS) module. The GPS module receives location information from a plurality of satellites. Here, the location information may include coordinate information represented by latitude and longitude. For example, the GPS module can measure the exact time and distance from three or more satellites and accurately calculate the current position by triangulating three different distances. A method of obtaining distance and time information from three satellites and correcting the error with one satellite may be used. In particular, the GPS module can obtain not only the location of latitude, longitude, and altitude but also accurate time together with three-dimensional speed information from the location information received from the satellite.

Meanwhile, the A / V input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video call mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame may be displayed on the display unit 151.

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. Two or more cameras 121 may be provided according to the configuration aspect of the terminal.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal by a microphone in a call mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, etc., and processes the external sound signal into electrical voice data. The processed voice data may be converted into a form transmittable to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 and output in the call mode. The microphone 122 may be implemented with various noise removing algorithms for removing noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for the user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure / capacitance), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like. In particular, when the touch pad has a mutual layer structure with the display unit 151 described later, this may be referred to as a touch screen.

The sensing unit 140 detects a current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as an open / closed state of the mobile terminal 100, a location of the mobile terminal 100, presence or absence of a user contact, orientation of the mobile terminal, acceleration / deceleration of the mobile terminal, and the like. To generate a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it may sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, it is responsible for sensing functions related to whether the power supply unit 190 is supplied with power or whether the interface unit 170 is coupled to an external device.

The interface unit 170 serves as an interface with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. For example, wired / wireless headset ports, external charger ports, wired / wireless data ports, memory card ports, ports for connecting devices with identification modules, audio input / output (I / O) ports, Video I / O (Input / Output) port, earphone port, etc. may be included.

Here, the identification module is a chip that stores various types of information for authenticating the use authority of the mobile terminal 100, and includes a user identification module (UIM) and a subscriber identify module (SIM). ), A Universal Subscriber Identity Module (“USIM”), and the like. In addition, the device equipped with the identification module (hereinafter, 'identification device') may be manufactured in the form of a smart card. Therefore, the identification device may be connected to the terminal 100 through a port. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or receives power and transmits the data to each component inside the mobile terminal 100 or transmits the data inside the mobile terminal 100 to an external device.

The output unit 150 is for outputting an audio signal, a video signal, or an alarm signal. The output unit 150 may include a display unit 151, a sound output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and the like.

The display unit 151 displays and outputs information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal is in a call mode, a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) related to a call is displayed. When the mobile terminal 100 is in a video call mode or a photographing mode, the mobile terminal 100 displays a photographed and / or received image, a UI, or a GUI.

Meanwhile, as described above, when the display unit 13 and the touch pad form a mutual layer structure to form a touch screen, the display unit 151 may be used as an input device in addition to the output device. The display unit 151 may include a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, and a three-dimensional display. 3D display) may include at least one. In addition, two or more display units 151 may exist according to the implementation form of the mobile terminal 100. For example, an external display unit (not shown) and an internal display unit (not shown) may be simultaneously provided in the mobile terminal 100.

The sound output module 152 outputs audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 160 in a call signal reception, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, and the like. In addition, the sound output module 152 outputs a sound signal related to a function (eg, a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100. The sound output module 152 may include a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm unit 153 outputs a signal for notifying occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events occurring in the mobile terminal include call signal reception, message reception, and key signal input. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying occurrence of an event in a form other than an audio signal or a video signal. For example, the signal may be output in the form of vibration. When a call signal is received or a message is received, the alarm unit 153 may output a vibration to inform this. Alternatively, when a key signal is input, the alarm unit 153 may output a vibration in response to the key signal input. Through the vibration output as described above, the user can recognize the occurrence of the event. Of course, the signal for notification of event occurrence may be output through the display unit 151 or the voice output module 152.

The memory 160 may store a program for processing and controlling the controller 180 and may provide a function for temporarily storing input / output data (for example, a phone book, a message, a still image, a video, etc.). It can also be done.

The memory 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory), RAM Random Access Memory (RAM) Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM) magnetic memory, It may include at least one type of storage medium of the optical disk. In addition, the mobile terminal 100 may operate a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 150 on the Internet.

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, perform related control and processing for voice calls, data communications, video calls, and the like. In addition, the controller 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for playing multimedia. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the controller 180 or may be implemented separately from the controller 180.

The power supply unit 190 receives an external power source or an internal power source under the control of the controller 180 to supply power for operation of each component.

Various embodiments described herein may be implemented in a computer-readable recording medium using, for example, software, hardware or a combination thereof.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein include application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and the like. It may be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing the functions. It may be implemented by the controller 180.

In a software implementation, embodiments such as procedures or functions may be implemented with separate software modules that allow at least one function or operation to be performed. The software code may be implemented by a software application written in a suitable programming language. In addition, the software code may be stored in the memory 160 and executed by the controller 180.

 In the above, the mobile terminal related to the present invention has been described in terms of components according to functions. Hereinafter, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the mobile terminal related to the present invention will be further described in terms of components according to appearance. Hereinafter, for simplicity, a slider type mobile terminal is described as an example among various types of mobile terminals such as a folder type, a bar type, a swing type, a slider type, and the like. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the slider type mobile terminal, but can be applied to all types of mobile terminals including the above-described type.

2 is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal according to the present invention;

The mobile terminal of the present invention includes a first body 200 and a second body 205 configured to be slidable in at least one direction on the first body 200.

A state in which the first body 200 is disposed to overlap with the second body 205 may be referred to as a closed configuration, and as shown in the drawing, the first body 200 may be referred to as the second body 205. The exposed state of at least a portion of the N may be referred to as an open configuration.

The mobile terminal mainly operates in a standby mode in a closed state, but the standby mode may be released by a user's operation. In addition, although the mobile terminal operates mainly in a call mode or the like in an open state, the mobile terminal may be switched to a standby mode by a user's manipulation or a lapse of a predetermined time.

The case (casing, housing, cover, etc.) forming the exterior of the first body 200 is formed by the first front case 220 and the first rear case 225. Various electronic components are embedded in the space formed by the first front case 220 and the first rear case 225. At least one intermediate case may be further disposed between the first front case 220 and the first rear case 225.

The cases may be formed by injecting a synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

The display module 151, the audio output module 152, the camera 121, or the first user input unit 210 may be disposed on the first body 200, specifically, the first front case 220.

The display module 151 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diodes (OLED), and the like, which visually express information.

In addition, since the touch pad is superimposed on the display module 151 in a layer structure, the display module 151 may operate as a touch screen to enable input of information by a user's touch.

The sound output module 152 may be implemented in the form of a speaker.

The camera 121 may be implemented to be suitable for capturing an image or a video of a user or the like.

Like the first body 200, the case forming the exterior of the second body 205 is formed by the second front case 230 and the second rear case 235.

The second user input unit 215 may be disposed on the second body 205, specifically, on the front face of the second front case 230.

The third user input unit 245, the microphone 122, and the interface unit 170 may be disposed in at least one of the second front case 230 or the second rear case 235.

The first to third user inputs 210, 215, and 245 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion 130, and may be any type as long as the user is tactile in a tactile manner. Can be employed.

For example, the user input unit may be implemented as a dome switch or a touch pad capable of receiving a command or information by a user's push or touch operation, or a wheel or jog method of rotating a key, or a manipulation method such as a joystick. May also be implemented.

In functional terms, the first user input unit 210 is for inputting a command such as start, end, scroll, etc., and the second user input unit 215 is for inputting numbers, letters, symbols, and the like.

In addition, the third user input unit 245 may operate as a hot key for activating a special function in the mobile terminal.

The microphone 122 may be implemented in a form suitable for receiving a user's voice, other sounds, and the like.

The interface unit 170 serves as a passage for allowing the mobile terminal according to the present invention to exchange data with an external device. For example, the interface unit 170 is wired or wirelessly, a connection terminal for connecting with an earphone, a port for short-range communication (for example, an infrared port (IrDA port), a Bluetooth port, a wireless LAN port) wireless LAN port), or at least one of power supply terminals for supplying power to the mobile terminal.

The interface unit 170 may be a card socket that accommodates an external card such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) or a user identity module (UIM) and a memory card for storing information.

The power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the mobile terminal is mounted on the second rear case 235 side.

The power supply unit 190 may be detachably coupled for charging, for example, as a rechargeable battery.

3 is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 3, a camera 121 may be additionally mounted on the rear surface of the second rear case 235 of the second body 205. The camera 121 of the second body 205 has a photographing direction substantially opposite to the camera 121 of the first body 200, and the camera 121 and the camera 121 of the first body 200. And may have different pixels.

For example, the camera 121 of the first body 200 has a low pixel so that it is easy to take a picture of the user's face and transmit it to the counterpart in the case of a video call, and the camera 121 of the second body is generally It is desirable to have a high pixel because the subject is often photographed and not immediately transmitted.

The flash 250 and the mirror 255 may be further disposed adjacent to the camera 121 of the second body 205. The flash 250 illuminates the subject when the subject is photographed by the camera 121 of the second body 205. The mirror 255 allows the user to see the user's face or the like when photographing (self-photographing) the user by using the camera 121 of the second body 205.

The sound output module 152 may be further disposed on the second rear case 235.

The sound output module 152 of the second body 205 may implement a stereo function together with the sound output module 152 of the first body 200, and may be used for a call in a speakerphone mode.

In addition, an antenna 260 for receiving a broadcast signal may be disposed on one side of the second rear case 235. The antenna 260 may be installed to be pulled out of the second body 205.

A portion of the slide module 265 that slidably couples the first body 200 and the second body 205 is disposed on the side of the first rear case 225 of the first body 200.

The other part of the slide module 265 may be disposed on the second front case 230 side of the second body 205 and may not be exposed to the outside as shown in this drawing.

In the above description, the second camera 121 and the like have been described as being disposed on the second body 205, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, at least one or more of the components 260, 121 to 250, and 152 described as disposed on the second rear case 235, such as the camera 121 of the second body, may be the first body 200. May be mounted on the first rear case 225. In such a case, there is an advantage that the configuration (s) disposed in the first rear case 225 in the closed state are protected by the second body 205. In addition, even if the camera 121 of the second body is not provided separately, the camera 121 of the first body may be rotatably formed so that the camera 121 of the second body may be photographed up to the photographing direction of the camera 121. .

The terminal 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 may operate in a communication system capable of transmitting data through a frame or packet, including a wired / wireless communication system and a satellite-based communication system. It can be configured to.

Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 4, a communication system capable of operating a terminal according to the present invention will be described.

The communication system may use different air interfaces and / or physical layers. For example, a radio interface usable by a communication system may include frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), and code division multiple access (Code Division). Multiple Access (CDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS) (especially Long Term Evolution (LTE), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), etc.) In the following, for convenience of explanation, the description will be limited to CDMA, but the present invention is naturally applicable to all communication systems including the CDMA wireless communication system.

As shown in FIG. 4, the CDMA wireless communication system includes a plurality of terminals 100, a plurality of base stations (BSs) 270, and base station controllers (BSCs) 275. ), And a mobile switching center (MSC) 280. The MSC 280 is configured to be connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 290 and is also configured to be connected to BSCs 275. The BSCs 275 may be coupled to the BS 270 through a backhaul line. The backhaul line may be provided according to at least one of E1 / T1, ATM, IP, PPP, Frame Relay, HDSL, ADSL, or xDSL. Thus, a plurality of BSCs 275 may be included in the system shown in FIG.

Each BS 270 may include at least one sector, and each sector may include an omnidirectional antenna or an antenna pointing radially out of BS 270. In addition, each sector may include two or more antennas of various types. Each BS 270 may be configured to support a plurality of frequency assignments, each of which has a specific spectrum (eg, 1.25 MHz, 5 MHz, etc.).

The intersection of sectors and frequency assignments may be called a CDMA channel. BS 270 may be called Base Station Transceiver Subsystem ('BTSs'). In this case, the word "base station" may be called the sum of one BSC 275 and at least one BS 270. The base station may also indicate “cell site”. Alternatively, each of the plurality of sectors for a particular BS 270 may be called a plurality of cell sites.

As shown in FIG. 4, a broadcasting transmitter (BT) 295 transmits a broadcast signal to terminals 100 operating in the system. The broadcast module 111 shown in FIG. 1 is provided in the terminal 100 to receive a broadcast signal transmitted by the BT 295.

In addition, FIG. 4 illustrates several satellite positioning systems (GPS) satellites 300. The satellites 300 help to locate the at least one terminal of the plurality of terminals 100. Although two satellites are shown in FIG. 4, useful location information may be obtained by two or less or more satellites. The GPS module 115 shown in FIG. 1 cooperates with the satellites 300 to obtain desired location information. Here, the location can be tracked using all the techniques that can track the location, not just the GPS tracking technology. In addition, at least one of the GPS satellites 300 may optionally or additionally be responsible for satellite DMB transmission.

During typical operation of a wireless communication system, BS 270 receives a reverse link signal from various terminals 100. At this time, the terminals 100 are connecting a call, transmitting or receiving a message, or performing another communication operation. Each of the reverse link signals received by a particular base station 270 is processed within by the particular base station 270. The data generated as a result of the processing is transmitted to the connected BSC 275. BSC 275 provides call resource allocation and mobility management functionality, including the organization of soft handoffs between base stations 270. In addition, the BSC 275 transmits the received data to the MSC 280, and the MSC 280 provides an additional transmission service for connection with the PSTN 290. Similarly, PSTN 290 connects with MSC 280, MSC 280 connects with BSCs 275, and BSCs 275 send BSs 270 to transmit a forward link signal to terminals 100. ).

5 is a flowchart illustrating a function control method using voice of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

When the voice recognition function is activated (S101), the controller 180 of the mobile terminal recognizes a command (hereinafter referred to as a voice command) input by the user's voice (S102), and indicates the meaning included in the recognized voice command. It is determined (S103).

In order to control activation of the voice recognition function, the controller 180 may receive a specific button or touch. The controller 180 may start or end the activation of the voice recognition function according to the number of inputs of the button or touch.

As the activation is started, the controller 180 can maintain the activation state while the button or touch is being input, and terminate the activation when the button or touch is released. Alternatively, after the voice recognition activation starts, the activation state may be maintained for a preset specific time, and then the activation may be automatically terminated after the specific time elapses.

The controller 180 may store the received voice command in the memory 160 while the voice recognition function is activated.

The determination of the meaning included in the voice command may be performed immediately after the activation of the voice recognition function ends, or may be simultaneously performed while the activation state of the voice recognition function is maintained. Here, the voice recognition may mean simultaneously performing an operation of recognizing a voice command and determining its meaning.

When the voice recognition function is activated, the controller 180 analyzes a word, a key word, or a sentence structure used in the input voice command, and determines the meaning based on contents or context included in the voice command. can do. For example, content means content that can be immediately determined, such as a menu name, and context can mean contextual information related to the menu although there is no direct menu name.

In order to determine the meaning of the voice command, information related to a function, a service, or a menu provided in the mobile terminal may be configured as a specific type of information in a database. The specific form may be a keyword or sentence form.

The database may be stored in memory 160.

The information in the database can be updated through learning.

The controller 180 determines the meaning of the voice command and outputs the result (S104). The result may include a control signal for executing a function corresponding to the recognized voice command or controlling a specific element, or data information for displaying a menu related to the recognized command.

The voice command may be input in an exact name of a specific menu (eg, taking a picture, making a voice call, sending a message, etc.) or in a natural language (eg, displaying a picture to save battery). The natural language voice command may or may not include an exact name associated with a particular menu.

Here, the natural language is a concept of calling a language that people commonly use from an artificial language, which is an artificially created language, and may be processed using a natural language processing algorithm.

If the meaning of the voice command is not clearly determined, the controller 180 may display a plurality of menus having a specific recognition rate (eg, 80%) or more and receive a user selection or confirmation (S105). That is, the controller 180 can confirm to the user whether to execute the function or menu determined to have the highest recognition rate, and receive the user's response to execute the corresponding function or menu.

The form to be confirmed by the user may use a message or voice or a display position or form (shape or size) of a menu, and the response form may be a user's voice or a specific button or touch input.

If the recognition rate of the input voice command is low, an error processing process may be performed. The error processing process may receive a user's selection after receiving a voice command again or displaying a plurality of menus having a specific recognition rate or more. If a function or menu having a specific recognition rate or more is less than or equal to a certain number, the function or menu may be automatically executed (S106).

6 is an exemplary view for explaining a method of controlling activation of a voice recognition function of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

The voice recognition function not only consumes a lot of resources of the mobile terminal, but also sustains power consumption when the voice recognition function is kept activated even in a standby state. Therefore, in order to prevent power consumption and reduce resource consumption of the mobile terminal, it is necessary to control the activation start and end of the voice recognition function.

As an example for controlling the activation of the voice recognition function, as shown in FIG. 6A, the user input unit 130 provided in the mobile terminal, that is, any button or touch pad, controls the activation of the voice recognition function. Can be used as a means for. The arbitrary buttons may be hardware buttons or software buttons displayed on the display unit 151. The software button may be a button shape or an icon of a specific shape.

Alternatively, as shown in (b) of FIG. 6, an arbitrary area of the display unit 151 on which a button or an icon is not displayed may be input by a touch method.

In addition, as another example for controlling the activation of the voice recognition function, as shown in (c) of FIG. 6, a specific sound may be input using the microphone 122 provided in the mobile terminal to control the activation of the voice recognition function. have.

The specific sound may include a kind of impact sound having a certain level or more, such as a clapping sound. The impact sound may be detected using an algorithm or a circuit that determines the level of the sound input through the microphone 122. The algorithm or circuit for detecting the impact sound may detect a sound or sound of a predetermined level or more, and may be configured to have relatively low resource consumption and low power consumption as compared with the voice recognition function.

Alternatively, the controller 180 may drive the voice recognition function in a plurality of modes. For example, the driving mode may be divided into a first mode that simply detects only a sound or sound above a specific level and a second mode that receives a voice command and determines the content or meaning of the voice command. That is, the controller 180 activates the voice command recognition function by driving the second mode when a sound or sound of a specific level or more is detected in the first mode.

In addition, the controller 180 may start activation of the voice recognition function by receiving body information including a gesture or gesture of a user, and receive the voice signal by receiving a wireless signal of a short distance or a long distance using another wireless device. The activation of the function can be started.

The wireless signal may be input through the wireless communication unit 110, and the gesture or gesture of the user may be input through the sensing unit 140. The wireless communication unit 110, the user input unit 130, and the sensing unit 140 that receive a signal for activating the voice recognition function may be collectively referred to as an activation signal input unit.

After receiving the voice command after the activation of the voice recognition function as described above, it is necessary to terminate the activation of the voice recognition function in order to reduce power consumption and resource consumption. In the method, the activation of the voice recognition function is terminated by inputting a button, a touch, a sound, a wireless signal, or information according to the user's approach such as a user's hand gesture or gesture, in the same way as the activation of the voice recognition function. You can.

On the other hand, as an example of a method of maintaining the activation state after starting the activation, the controller 180 may maintain the activation state for a specific time after starting the activation and then automatically terminate the activation after the specific time. . Alternatively, while maintaining the activation only while the button or touch is continuously input, the activation may be terminated when the input is released. Alternatively, if no voice is input for a specific time in the activation state, the controller 180 may automatically terminate the activation.

7A is a flowchart for explaining a voice recognition method of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the activation of the voice recognition function is started, the controller 180 stores the input voice command in the memory 160 (S201 and S202) and processes the voice command by a specific voice recognition algorithm. It may be (S203).

The speech recognition algorithm may convert the received speech into text information and store the text information in an arbitrary area of the memory 160 (S204). The text information is processed to determine the meaning included in the command.

The meaning of the voice command is preferably understood at the same time as the voice input.

However, after all of the input of the voice command is completed, the meaning may be understood. For example, when the input of the voice command is completed, when the voice is not input for a predetermined time, it may be determined that the input of the voice command is completed and the process of determining the meaning of the voice command may be started.

The controller 180 may detect a specific word or keyword included in the text information to determine the meaning included in the voice command (S205). Then, the detected word or keyword may be compared with information related to various functions or menus stored in a specific database of the mobile terminal (S206).

When there is a word or a key word that has the same or similar meaning as the information stored in the database through the comparison of the information, the recognition rate of the voice command may be determined based on the number of the corresponding word or key word (S207). .

In this case, the information for determining the recognition rate of the voice command is not limited to information on the number of words or keywords included in the voice command. That is, by setting different values for determining the recognition rate for each keyword, even if the number is small, the recognition rate may be changed by the keyword having the high recognition rate.

The speech recognition rate is information indicating whether the meaning of the recognized speech command is correct. When the name of a specific menu is correctly input, a recognition rate of 100% can be obtained. It is difficult to obtain a recognition rate of virtually 100% because it can be included in the user, and similar pronunciations having different meanings can be input to each user. Therefore, if the recognition rate is above a certain value (eg, 80%), it can be determined to be accurate, and when there are a plurality of meanings determined as the similar recognition rate (that is, the recognition rate is similar but the voice command is interpreted in various meanings). If possible), a plurality of executable menus may be displayed and any one of them may be selected by the user (S208).

The recognition rate may be set by the terminal manufacturer or may be set by a user.

In displaying the menus, the menus may be displayed in order of relatively high recognition rates. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7B, a menu icon having a high recognition rate may be displayed closer to the center of the screen (410). Alternatively, the menu icon having a high recognition rate may be displayed larger or darker (420).

The recognition rate may learn the number of selections for a menu frequently selected by a user and change the recognition rate for the selected menu. Therefore, the recognition rate may be different for voice commands input after the same or similar pronunciation or content.

7C is an exemplary view for explaining a voice recognition method of a mobile terminal according to the present invention. For example, the user may use "I want to see my pictures." When a voice command is inputted, the controller 180 detects a meaningful word or key word (eg, see, picture) in a sentence constituting the voice command and compares it with information of a database embedded in the mobile terminal. do.

Whether the detected word or the key word is a meaningful word can be determined by a part-of-speech or only a predetermined key word can be detected as a meaningful word. The controller 180 may search the database for information corresponding to the meaningful word or key word.

The database may store a plurality of keyword information related to various menus or functions provided in the mobile terminal. For example, as keyword information corresponding to "photo album" which is a submenu of the camera menu, a plurality of keyword information such as "photo, picture, video, album" may be matched in addition to the exact name information of "photo album". Can be stored.

If there is no information related to a menu or a function in which a voice command is exactly matched as described above, the controller 180 can display a plurality of menus having a recognition rate of a specific value or more. In this case, the menu icon 521 having a high recognition rate may be displayed larger or darker (510).

Alternatively, when there are less than two menus or functions having a recognition rate higher than a specific value, the corresponding functions or menus may be automatically executed (520). In this case, the controller 180 may output the voice command having the determined meaning as a message or a voice and then execute the user's confirmation.

For example, assuming that a user inputs a voice command of "Enable battery saving" as a natural language, as shown in FIG. 7D, the controller 180 may use a meaningful word or key word in a sentence constituting the voice command. Example: Battery, saving) can be detected and its meaning can be determined through comparison with information stored in the database.

However, since a menu corresponding to the voice command does not exactly exist, the controller 180 can display a plurality of menus (eg, a background screen, a backlight, a standby screen, etc.) related to a function of reducing battery power consumption. have.

At least one of a size, a position, a color, and a contrast may be differently displayed and highlighted according to the order of recognition rate among the plurality of menus. In this case, a recognition rate of a menu having a high user selectivity among the plurality of displayed menus may be changed higher.

8 is an exemplary view for explaining the configuration of a database for voice command recognition of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

The database stores information for determining the meaning of the voice command, and may configure a plurality of databases according to the characteristics of the information. Each database configured according to the characteristics of the information may be updated under continuous learning under the control of the controller 180.

The learning of the database corresponds to a word that the user pronounces and a word corresponding thereto. For example, when the user pronounces "birthday" but recognizes "life", the user "birthday" By correcting it, the same pronunciation will be learned to be recognized as "birthday" from now on.

Through the learning, a plurality of pieces of voice information may correspond to respective pieces of information in the database.

Each database according to the characteristics of the information includes a first database 161 for storing voice information for recognizing a voice input through a microphone in a phoneme, syllable, or morpheme unit, and based on the recognized voice information. A second database 162 for storing information for determining the overall meaning (eg, grammar, pronunciation accuracy, sentence structure, etc.), and a third for storing information related to a menu for performing a function or service included in the mobile terminal; The database 163 may include a fourth database 164 that stores a message or voice information to be output from the terminal to receive the meaning of the determined voice command from the user.

Each database may store voice (pronounced) information and phoneme, syllable, morpheme, word, keyword, or sentence information corresponding to the voice (pronounced) information.

Accordingly, the controller 180 performs an operation of determining a meaning included in a voice recognition operation and a voice command using at least one of the plurality of databases 161 to 164, and the meaning of the determined voice command. You can execute the menu related to the corresponding function or service.

9 is an exemplary view for explaining a method of indicating that the voice command recognized by the mobile terminal according to the present invention is being executed.

The controller 180 outputs a result when the voice command is recognized or determines the meaning of the voice command. The result may be a control signal for executing a specific function included in the mobile terminal, menu information related to the recognized command, or data information output when the function is executed. Therefore, the result may be output to any one of various components of the mobile terminal.

Meanwhile, in the above embodiment, a method of recognizing and executing a voice command has been described. However, at least one of other user interfaces provided in the mobile terminal may be simultaneously applied while the voice command is recognized. For example, voice recognition and touch input, voice recognition and button input, or voice recognition and touch / button input may be simultaneously applied.

Also, voice recognition may not be applied depending on a specific mode, a menu, or a specific operation state. Accordingly, the audio information (eg, voice guidance) or video information (eg, the indicator 500) indicating that the voice recognition is applied may be displayed in the mode, menu, or operation state to which the voice recognition is applied. Alternatively, the help information output may be used to notify the user that voice recognition is being applied.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-described method may be embodied as computer readable code on a medium in which a program is recorded. The computer-readable medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of computer-readable media include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and the like, which are also implemented in the form of carrier waves (eg, transmission over the Internet). It also includes. In addition, the computer may include the controller 180 of the terminal.

The mobile terminal of the present invention described above is not limited to the configuration and method of the above-described embodiments, the embodiments are a combination of all or part of the embodiments selectively so that various modifications can be made It may be configured.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal associated with one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front perspective view of an example of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

3 is a rear perspective view of the mobile terminal of FIG. 2;

4 is an exemplary diagram of a communication system operable by a terminal according to the present invention;

5 is a flowchart for explaining a function control method using voice of a mobile terminal according to the present invention;

6 is an exemplary diagram for explaining a method of controlling activation of a voice recognition function of a mobile terminal according to the present invention;

7A is a flowchart for explaining a voice recognition method of a mobile terminal according to the present invention;

7B is an exemplary diagram for explaining a method of displaying a menu according to a voice recognition rate of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

Figure 7c is an exemplary view for explaining a voice recognition method of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

7D is another exemplary view for explaining a method of displaying a menu according to a voice recognition rate of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

8 is an exemplary view for explaining the configuration of a database for speech recognition of a mobile terminal according to the present invention.

9 is an exemplary view for explaining a method for indicating that the voice command recognized by the mobile terminal according to the present invention is being executed.

Claims (12)

A microphone for receiving a voice command; A signal input unit configured to receive a signal for controlling activation of a voice recognition function; A memory for organizing information related to each menu or function included in the mobile terminal into a database; The voice recognition function is activated by receiving the activation control signal, and the meaning is determined based on the content and context of the received voice command by referring to the information stored in the database, and a result corresponding to the determined meaning is obtained. And a control unit for outputting to a specific component of the terminal. The method of claim 1, wherein the control unit, A mobile terminal characterized by outputting a function corresponding to the meaning of the determined voice command, a control signal for controlling a specific component of the terminal, or data for outputting a menu corresponding to the meaning of the voice command. . The method of claim 2, wherein the control unit, And determining a recognition rate with respect to the meaning of the voice command, and displaying a menu corresponding to a meaning of a relatively high recognition rate according to the recognition rate differently from other menus. The method of claim 3, wherein the control unit, And controlling at least one of a menu size, a display position, color, contrast, and highlight information according to the order of the recognition rate being higher. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal input unit, Button or touch, sound, near or far radio signals, or And at least one of physical information including a user's approach, gestures, and gestures as a control signal for activating a voice recognition function. The method of claim 1, wherein the database, A first database storing voice or pronunciation information for the recognition; A second database storing word, key word or sentence information for determining the meaning of the recognized voice; A third database for storing information related to various functions and menus provided in the mobile terminal; And at least one of a fourth database storing help information to be output to receive the meaning of the recognized voice command from a user. The method of claim 1, wherein the control unit, A mobile terminal characterized by outputting audio or video information indicating the activation state of the voice recognition function. Activating a voice recognition function; Receiving a voice command and determining the meaning of the voice command based on contents and context included in the voice command; And outputting a result corresponding to the meaning of the voice command to a specific component of the terminal. The method of claim 8, wherein the voice command, And outputting information for confirming whether or not the function or menu corresponding to the meaning is executed, and executing the corresponding function or menu in response to a user's response or selection of the information. Menu control method of a mobile terminal. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein the voice command, A plurality of menus corresponding to the meaning that the recognition rate is greater than or equal to a certain value may be displayed. And at least one of display position, size, color, contrast, and highlight of each menu is differentially displayed in order of high recognition rate. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining of the meaning of the voice command comprises: Converting the input voice command into information of a specific format; Detecting a specific word or key word included in the specific information; Comparing the detected word or key word with information stored in a specific database; And determining the meaning of the voice command by using the information having the same or similar meaning through the comparison of the information. The method of claim 11, wherein the voice command, The recognition rate may be determined by the number of words stored in the database or information having a meaning similar to or similar to a keyword. And a value for determining a recognition rate for each word or keyword can be set differently.

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